Two Men Killed, One Critically Injured in Cottonlands Home Invasion

• Two men were killed and a third critically injured during an early-morning home invasion in Cottonlands, KwaZulu-Natal
• Armed suspects forced their way into a rented house, held the victims at gunpoint, and opened fire
• The suspects stole two cellphones before fleeing on foot, and the getaway vehicle has not yet been confirmed

KWAZULU NATAL — Two men were killed and a third left critically injured after armed suspects opened fire during a home invasion in Cottonlands, KwaZulu-Natal, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

According to Arrive Alive, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) said it received a call for assistance at about 01:16, reporting a shooting at a rented two-room house. Reaction officers were immediately dispatched to the scene.

Upon arrival, officers spoke to a woman who reported that two suspects armed with rifles forced their way into the house. The suspects allegedly pushed the door open and held her husband at gunpoint while demanding firearms and cash. He reportedly told them that there were no weapons or money in the house.

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Suspects steal tenant's cellphones

Two other tenants who were in another room heard the disturbance and came out to investigate. The suspects then held the pair at gunpoint and forced them into the same room as the couple.

The suspects allegedly opened fire on the three men, shooting them multiple times in both their upper and lower bodies.

Two of the men were declared dead at the scene, while the third sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was left in critical condition as he awaited medical assistance.

A woman and her two-year-old child, who were in the room at the time, were not injured.

The suspects fled the scene on foot after stealing two Hisense cellphones. Their getaway vehicle has not yet been confirmed.

Man killed in home invasion in Free State

In a similar incident, a farmworker was shot dead, and his 34-year-old wife was assaulted and stabbed during a brutal home invasion in the Free State. The attack occurred on a farm in the Heilbron district in the early hours of Saturday, 1 November 2025. After the incident was reported, police, together with local farmers, private security, and other partners, carried out an intensive search. Within a few hours, they arrested 13 suspects, 11 men and two women, and recovered 22 stolen sheep, a firearm, a minibus, and various household goods.

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Other articles on home invasions

• Briefly News reported that a 61-year-old school principal was gunned down in his Tembisa home in Gauteng on Sunday morning, 14 December 2025. The incident reportedly began when four suspects allegedly broke into the family’s home in Tembisa using an axe.
• A man, Aman Giyanshwar Roopsingh, was killed during a house robbery at a sugar farm in Riet Valley, Shakaskraal. Police said the suspect, who was wearing a balaclava, entered the house, held three family members at knifepoint and stabbed two men.
• African Farmers Association of South Africa (AFASA) KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Mbongeni Sikhakhane was fatally shot at his home in Sweetwaters, Pietermaritzburg, on Friday, 26 December 2025.

Source: Briefly News